Madison County 911 call under scrutiny following homicide; sheriff’s office says it is understaffed

Editor’s note: This story has been edited to better represent Sheriff Ronnie Boyd’s comments.

MADISON COUNTY Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says it is understaffed as it investigates whether a deputy’s failure to respond to a 911 call and a woman’s murder are related.

Human remains belonging to Taylor Barksdale were discovered in Madison County on Sept. 9 , and her death is being investigated as a homicide.

A 911 call was made on Aug. 5 from the area where the remains were later found. Former Deputy Blake Hassell initially claimed he responded to this call but later stated he did not, according to Sheriff Ronnie Boyd.

Hassell resigned on Sept. 11, shortly before a possible termination.

The sheriff’s office says it is understaffed and needs more helping hands. Boyd said that his office has eight deputies and one more in training. Boyd says the sheriff’s office needs 18 to 20 deputies to be a fully functioning department.

Alexis Kelly was one of Barksdale’s friends. Kelly says she knows that the sheriff’s office is understaffed. She says the same rules apply to shorthanded restaurants, and there are no excuses. “They were supposed to do their job and they didn’t do their job. You don’t have an excuse not to do your job, I’m sorry. You go to a restaurant. There’s like two people there and they’re shorthanded. They still get what you need. They still do what you need to do. Like they get you your food, and it might be a little late, but they still show up. You’re a cop. You didn’t even show up,” said Kelly.

Boyd said there is no knowledge of any other 911 call other than the one phone call on August 5.

Kelly says she has moved out of Madison County to feel safer.

Boyd says that there are rumors around Madison County that are impeding the ongoing homicide investigation. Boyd said that Barksdale was rumored to be missing at the end of July, however, she was last seen alive on July 20 by the Huntsville Police Department.

Boyd says on the evening of Sept. 5, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office was notified that some people were concerned about Barksdale. At the end of July, it was reported that she had been involved in an argument or altercation in the Big Clifty area and that her clothes were scattered in a field. Barksdale was reported missing later that same day.

On the morning of Sept. 6, the sheriff’s office started its search in the Big Clifty area. By then, the sheriff’s office received information that Barksdale was last seen in the Huntsville and Kingston area anywhere from 1 month to 1.5 months before Sept. 6.

Kelly says her thoughts are with the Barksdale family. “Taylor could be me. It could be any of my family members. It could be anybody. I knew her, and it is very sad. It’s heartbreaking, and I feel for her family. And I feel for her. And I hope that she’s peaceful now, and she’s not having to worry about anything. But her family deserves justice. She deserves justice,” said Kelly.

As for the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Boyd says that they are working on getting to the bottom of this case as soon as possible.

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